Coupon Question And Answer – Ask I Heart Publix 2/12

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If you have a question about couponing at Publix, this is the place to find the answer! Each week my buddy Christy and I have a little coupon question and answer session here on Ask I Heart Publix. Keep sending in those questions – we love to answer them! Just remember if we didn’t get to your question this week…we will do our best to cover it another week!!

Remember–there is a tab at the top of the site under “About” titled “Ask I Heart Publix” where you can find the questions and answers from past weeks!

1.Janelle wants to know: I notice Publix stores in my area are holding the booklets behind the customer service desk, and now they are limiting only one booklet per customer. Is this for all Publix stores? Lets say I want four items and the coupon is in the ad…that means I can only get one item at the discount? I was told before they can key the Publix coupon code in the amount of times you have the product, but is seems that now that has changed.

Michelle: All stores really vary but I am sure if you explained that you need multiples they would probably give them to you. I would think if you aren’t asking for more than a couple, they’d be happy to give you a couple.

Christy: I have a couple stores in my area that hold booklets and the front and won’t give out more than one booklet no matter how nicely I ask :). Unfortunately this is at the store’s discretion…however I would say that you might want to nicely explain how many items you want to purchase and ask if there’s any way they can give you the right amount of coupons…it can’t hurt to ask!

2. Virginia wants to know: My freezer is packed full because of my couponing…but we are always running out of items because I don’t have a way to freeze more. Do you think the potential savings is worth the investment and electricity costs of a deep freezer?

Michelle: I went YEARS without a deep freeze and now I just don’t know how I survived. At any time I typically have 30 – 40 pounds of meat in my freezer. I was able to combine a sale, with a coupon, plus a gift card I had and also store reward points to get a phenomenal price. It took some patience and planning but it was totally worth it. Do your research and look for a freezer that fits your space, has low operating costs and then work on ways to get it discounted!

Christy: I honestly haven’t broken out the expense of electricity for my deep freeze, but I don’t know how I would coupon without it! As far as the cost of the freezer itself, you might check out used versus new costs. I got my freezer in like-new condition on Craigslist for $75 over four years ago and it’s still going strong.

3. Jennwants to know: When I was checking over my receipt this past weekend, I noticed that a Publix Digital Coupon came off my total and I had already used a paper coupon for that same item. I know that you’re not supposed to be able to use paper and digital coupons for the same item. Is there any way to fix this with my customer service desk?

Christy: I’ve noticed this happen from time to time too. I think the system just gets “confused” sometimes even though it’s not supposed to. You might want to just take your receipt in to your Customer Service Desk and ask if there is anything you should do to let them know when this happens…but I think it is just a random glitch that hopefully they will work out.

Michelle: I noticed it recently too. I am actually kinda glad to hear that I am not the only one. Mine was a doozy as I got an extra $5 with the B2G1 Digiorno coupon/digital coupon. I thought maybe the register got confused as it was a multiple purchase coupon. I had thought to talk to my store to see if they had any insight on this issue. Have you guys noticed that it’s a particular type of coupon?

4. Rebekah wants to know: I’ve seen a number of Publix Digital Coupons in your matchups recently that aren’t available to load to my account. Are there are different digital coupons available for different people?

Michelle: As far as I know, all Publix Digital Coupons are available to all shoppers….but only for a certain amount of time. I load all the Publix Digital Coupons to my account and match that huge list to the Publix ad. I think that if you don’t load a coupon when it is available, it can “disappear” even though it is still valid….so that may be why you don’t see it. I guess maybe digital coupons have a limit too.

Christy: I have gotten in the habit of loading all the Publix digital coupons available every few days as well. I think I have over 400 coupons in my account. Will I ever use them all before they expire? No way. But I’ve found that I have used a number of digital coupons now that I never would have loaded based on my “usual” purchases. Sometimes a deal pops up for an item that I would never otherwise purchase….if the price is right, I’ll grab the deal :).

Plus, I sometimes grab items that we need without consulting my digital coupon list (which is huge!), and I get “surprised” by a digital coupon that I didn’t realize that I had. That’s always a nice little bonus.

5. Janelle wants to know: Can we see a picture of your binder? Or how you organize your coupons? Do you organize your coupons by Publix aisles?

I organize my coupons by category…that makes it so much easier for me to flip and see what I need, especially when I am at the store.

I hope our answers to these questions were helpful! Make sure you ‘tune in’ next week for even more Q&A with I Heart Publix. We are really running low on questions to answer, so if you have a question you’d like to see answered, PLEASE send it in!! Just email me at contactiheartpublix@gmail.com.

I agree, Aymie. It makes up for all the Qs that don’t get scanned, as I see it.

Who wrote the question, a Publix employee disguised as a regular customer?

[I should say, here, that you’ve all been spared a rant about some of the things I should have sued Publix for and (that) if we (thousands!) get a few more cents off than expected in a transaction, Publix is still, probably, saving money over being sued, by me alone. I don’t EVER save “unexpected money” in there that I don’t say (to myself), “They deserve it! I deserve it!” LOL!!–Some topic just push my buttons, ya know?!!? LOL.)

And someone has the nerve to tell me “its called honesty” how about they fix the glitch in their system to where we don’t need to have an override for coupons or overage, how about ppl get their crap together at publix and know their policy and everyone be on the same team and not make me feel like a criminal whenever I earn money on a product. Its called “get their crap together” not honesty. How dare u say that to me.

The stores in my area as well are keeping all Advantage flyers at Customer Service and it is annoying to wait in line to get ONE flyer. I have the cashier use the LU number as many times as needed for the number of items I am buying and keep the coupon.

How about if Publix prints their In-ad Qs with (say) “Limit 3 per coupon”. That would save paper and us from begging, etc. I don’t like getting two or more flyers if there’s just one or two Qs I want from each.

I was checking out recently, and I had an item in my cart that I was planning on using a digital coupon. On the item, it had a “Save now 50 cents off” coupon, which doubles in my area. I had planned on saving the coupon for another sale since I knew the item had a digital coupon. The cashier pulled the coupon off and was getting ready to scan it. I told her no, I had a digital coupon for that, and that I would save the paper coupon for later. She said, no you can use both, and scanned it before I could stop her. I did not want to argue with her, so left it at that. I did not want to get her in trouble, so I did not say anything to C/S.

My almost 30 year old freezer just died. It was a good time too. It is the kind you have to defrost and I begin the chore of not buying and cleaning it out around Christmas so I can defrost in February or March. I only had 1 package of bacon, one of sausage and a few veggies and a few boxes of fruit bars that were basically free. I downsized (family is now smaller) from a 15 cu ft to a 14 cu ft upright and it is plenty big and frost free. It was just over $400 and Energy Star and the estimated cost to run for a year is $65. A bargain in my opinion.

I freeze everything. I even put coffee and liquid creamers in there and trust me, I feel like I will pay for it in just a few months with savings. I’ve had a freezer since I’ve had a family almost 30 years and this is the first one I’ve paid for. I got my mother’s when she died. My aunt moved into a smaller apartment and couldn’t take hers so I got it about 4 months after I lost the first one. I sure missed it and notice how much more I spent during this time. Mine died on Friday, bought a new one Sunday and had it delivered Monday. I would advise anyone to buy a freezer. You will seriously pay for it in savings in just a few months and the running cost is generally less than $100 a year.

Regarding the freezer: we started couponing a couple months ago and it became obvious that a freezer would help us in the long run. My hubby started looking on CraigsList (we did not have it in our budget to buy a new one) and after a few weeks, he found a nice 7 cu ft chest freezer for $35. Its about 4 or 5 years old and is in very nice (almost new) condition. It’s the perfect size for us and I filled it within about 3 weeks of getting it! I am so glad that we were able to find a used one.

I also LOVE my deep freezer. I have a huge stand up one and I have a ton of great deals that I’ve been able to stock up on. I bought it used at a garage sale years ago, I believe I paid $50. I’m sure I saved more than that the first time I stocked it. I believe it is well worth the cost, even if it takes a little electricity to run it!

Love my freezer too and bought it several years ago used, and it stays pretty full when I catch those great sales on frozen foods/ vegetables and even the garlic bread, I try to use it down, then when I put new bought items, I take everthing out put new to bottom and put my other items back in so they will be used first { Rotation }

For the publix digital coupons, the issue happens when a cashier manually enters a vendor coupon rather than scanning it. For example, your coupon for pasta beeps or doesn’t scan, the cashier then enters it as a generic vendor coupon. The system doesn’t know which item this coupon is tied to if entered this way, and digital coupons left that apply at the end of the transaction will doubly apply. The reason it happened with the digiorno coupon is because of the coupon type as well. When the pizzas were b2g1 (I believe the sale price recently was $5/ea) the cashier should have scanned the coupon and then when prompted, entered the amount of $5 for the free pizza. If the cashier didn’t scan the coupon and just entered a $5 vendor q instead, that could be what the issue was. Although, these are just my own observations, I have no way at all if this is how it works

As for the freezer.. I would say depends on how much frozen stuff you need/will use.. we used to have a small freezer and a second fridge.. but at a cost of 12? or so a month for both.. and the amount we really needed it.. we got rid of them ( main time it came in handy was when winn dixie had sales on meat and over bought and i would be able to get 40+ lbs of meat at 75%+ off normal prices)

also helps that if i really need space i can donate to siblings or my mom.. + my grandmother has a large freezer that often has spare space if its just too good to pas up ( as my 2 boys reach teen age years will probably have to get a chest again..)

AND a big thing with PUBLIX coupons .. all the stores here throw them out… some stores/cashiers will happily put in same code multiple times from same coupon.. others want a coupon for each item even though they throw them out.. so if they only give one booklet ASK if it can be used for multiples in same transaction…

At the Publix I shop they put the booklets behind counter also, when I have asked for 2 they have given them to me, don’t know if they would if it was more, but what gets me as good as my Publix is a few days before they expire they will stick all thes books out which is usually a lot {that they have kept behind counter}, and If they controlled a few a day or however I can understand to keep people from being Rude and grabbing a lot of them and not leaving any for other customers, as some people don’t know they have them behind counter.

Oh yes the digital coupon question, just recently I was entering my phone number on the key pad just in case I had Publix digital coupons that hadn’t been used yet and the young lady cashier said let me scan all your paper coupons first before entering your phone number because the digital coupons will only give you single as paper ones scanned double up to 50 cent and if you have a 50 cent digital say on cheerios {for example} it will only let you take off the 50 cent and then it want let you use the paper one which would have doubled. Hope this helps.

Q3) I recently bought the new sleep drink and had a paper free product coupon. It did not scan. The cashier entered it manually. At the end I entered my phone # it came off. I told her she needed to cancel the paper coupon because it came off again with the digital coupon. She returned my paper coupon and told me that there were only two couponers at their store.That they did not have to question their coupons. One of course was me and the other my coupon buddy Marion. What a nice feeling that is.

I agree. When possible, I always try to correct mistakes even if it means going to customer service and handing them money when a mistake is made in my favor. Their expressions are priceless. Publix, by far, still has the most generous coupon policy in my area.

I don’t think of the Digital Qs as being reliable. I bought items, depending on a DQ to get a better price, and the DQ did not come off. The items were not on sale and I did not have paper Qs for them. I looked up, when I got home, on their site, to figure out what went wrong. I recall something about – if a purchase can not be verified (at the time of the transaction), the DQ is added back in to those un-redeemed (still available) for future use. I haven’t trusted the DQs since. I enter my phone number — if anything comes off, I think of it as a perk, but I don’t rely on them.

I don’t want to be rude, however, instead of complaining that Publix won’t give you enough flyers, how about buying the amount of newspapers needed, of course making sure the publix flyers are in the paper? I find Publix to be an awesome store to shop at and easy, however, being greedy is what gives us a bad name!